Star-Lords
Pantheon of Elfdom and all Subordinate Cultures
The Lords of the Stars were the first gods worshiped by sapient beings, and their origins are utterly unknown. Predating all history, there is no record of the development of their religion or how it became organized, but it has been a fixture of Elven society since the resolution of the Everwar, and most cultures have been influenced by it to at least some extent.
The myths associated with the Star-Lords are both mythopoeic and historical in their tone. From this, many have suggested that they are based on specific, real individuals, whose deeds and status were elevated through multiple retellings of their tales. Others insist that the identities of the Star-Lords were invented wholly in order to serve a philosophical need, to attribute to specific, relatable beings the inscrutable machinations of nature.
Each of the 13 gods represents three specific aspects: a location within the sky (either a constellation or celestial body), an element within nature, and a social construct. Additionally, each Tribe of Elves is sworn to one particular god above all others, and is named from that domain, but all pay homage to other gods within their domains or when seeking help with their associated concepts.
Structure
Despite its relative ubiquity, the organized clergy of the Star-Lords seldom exercises direct control in worldly matters. On the other hand, it seldom needs to; millennia of consistently established doctrine has left no doubt as to its position on various matters, and few would countermand the will of the gods. Clergy are often sought for advice on matters of all sizes, and even if they are not directly obeyed, are never totally ignored.
Although they are often spoken of as a unity, the 13 Star-Lords are entreated separately in matters pertaining to their particular domains. In effect, they are separate and barely connected faiths, associated only by their common history. Each Lord has a distinct clergy with its own hierarchy and distinctive vestments, particular rituals and rites, and a particular symbol. However, the clergies do not treat each other in a competitive or adversarial manner; where their purposes intersect, they are quite willing to cooperate, with standard protocols for collecting equal members of each relevant clergy, in the same numbers and of the same rank, so that there is no dispute of jurisdiction.
See each Star-Lord individually for more information on how their clergy operates.
Divine Origins
Because worship of the Star-Lords predates written history by several centuries at least, little is known of the religion's formation, with one very significant exception.
Numerous records attest that Simareth was a real, historical person, widely revered as a great hero. According to both myths and histories, he became a god by eating the first fruit produced by the Mother Tree. This fact is of course contested by non-members of the religion, but no alternative explanation has ever been proven. There are many subsequent tales of his deeds as a god, none of which have obvious sources, though some sufficiently resemble older folk tales that some anthropologists believe they were adapted to his identity.
Cosmological Views
The story of creation is a long tale in the original Elvish, written in high poetic form meant to be recited aloud by a skilled bard. It does not translate well to other languages. However, there is a simplified version of the tale intended for young children which is often translated as a primer to scholars from other cultures. The translation follows:
To begin with, there was darkness. The darkness has always been, and will remain when all else is gone. However, within the midst of the darkness lights appeared, and formed into shapes and swirls. The lights danced and spun, and a spirit within the darkness was moved, and danced with them. The dancers spun and sped, contracting at last into concrete forms. They became Caralnis, Lady of Starlight, and Rusasha, Lord of Darkness. And from their union were born three new forms: Athnar, Lord of Years, his twin Athne, Lady of Seasons, and finally, Arrehan, Lord of the Sun.
When Arrehan came to be, light flooded existence, and the darkness shook. The light was reflected, bifurcated, revealing within the darkness a great firmament. Athnar, Athne, and Arrehan approached, curious, while Caralnis and Rusasha stayed back and said nothing.
Athnar looked into the firmament and saw the path of the future laid out before him. He studied and remembered what he saw. Athne looked, and saw herself reflected back, ever-changing but still herself, forever. Arrehan looked, and saw a figure like himself, yet different. He touched the surface of the firmament, and the new being emerged from it. This was Mrendil, Lady of the Moon.
Arrehan and Mrendil wed, and from their union came two new beings: Sulrassil, Lady of Life, and Dorrelin, Lord of Fire. These, in their turn, looked into the firmament, and each saw a new form in their reflection, and each drew it out. From Sulrassil came Cadlassa, Lord of Stone, and from Dorrelin came Rallanar, Lord of the Seas. Yet as they emerged, the surface of the firmament was troubled, and was covered over with rime and with debris.
Rallanar then gathered the frost into a great basin, and Cadlassa gathered the debris to form islands upon it. Then they and their parents went down onto the world they had created. Dorrelin warmed the frost so that most of it melted, forming seas. Then the islands sunk to the depths so that only the largest and tallest emerged. Sulrassil breathed life into the world, and new spirits were created, filling every corner of creation.
Rallanar and Cadlassa wed, and from them the final two gods were made: the twins, Ruandal and Hradlar. The pair explored the world, shaping the life they found into new forms after their preferences: Ruandal made trees and plants, while Hradlar made beasts and moving creatures.
Much later, the time came for a new life to be made. Ruandal and Hradlar built a form that stood on two legs, and Arrehan and Mrendil approached, filling it with reason and wisdom, curiosity and compassion. So the first Elf was made, and others were soon made to join it.
However, some of the creature's bestial nature had to be removed to make room for wisdom. This unruly essence slunk into other beasts and misshaped them into mockeries of the Elf, two-legged but crude, speaking but unthinking. So came the first Goblin, and it laid waste to the wilds with no respect for the ways of life and nature.
Note that Simareth does not appear in this story. His inclusion among the gods comes much later in the tales.Tenets of Faith
A concept which appears in many tales, including the creation myth described above, is of the firmament, also sometimes translated as the fixture. It is often described as if it were a physical object or place, yet its use in the lore as a whole seems to be more of a metaphysical construct. The firmament is used as a metaphor for the unknown and the mysterious, for it barricades that which is hidden, such as the fate of deceased souls. It is also credited for allowing positive transformations and revealing great secrets. When an Elf achieves a transformation, such as a Wood Elf becoming a Dryad, they are said to have touched the firmament.
In the case of the gods themselves, because they are already perfect and fully realized beings, they cannot be transformed; instead, touching the firmament summons either a counterpart being, as in the case of the Sun Lord creating the Moon Lady, or some sort of useful tool or material, which then becomes a part of the natural world.
Worship
There is little formalized worship outside of religious orders. Individuals pray daily to their Tribal God, and may beseech help from another god if they need help in that area. For instance, one leaving on a journey may pray to Rallanar to ensure their safe passage. In both cases, it is customary to make a small offering, usually something relatively insignificant, like a flower or bolt of appropriately-colored cloth. Larger sacrifices are reserved for times of great need.
Sects
Each god has an associated domain with at least two aspects: one a part of nature, one a social concept. Clerical orders devoted to the gods serve those concepts in their own way. The gods and their domains follow:
- Arrehan, Leader of the Sun and Enforcer of Order
- Mrendil, Driver of the Moon and Minder of Resolve
- Caralnis, Sender of Starlight and Weaver of Artworks
- Rusasha, Guardian in Darkness and Guide of Death
- Athne, Watcher of the Seasons and Keeper of Memory
- Athnar, Watcher of Years and Chronicler of Fate
- Ruandal, Grower of Trees and Bestower of Growth
- Hradlar, Herald of Beasts and Queller of Needs
- Rallanar, Roiler of the Sea and Carver of Paths
- Dorrelin, Raiser of Fires and Marcher in War
- Sulrassil, Bestower of Breath and Bringer of Life
- Cadlassa, Worker of Stone and Builder of Craftworks
- Simareth, Hero and Guardian of Elfdom
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